


The Woman Called Eleven

by Alithea



Series: Numbers Alternates [6]
Category: Gundam Wing
Genre: Alternate Universe, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-07-09
Updated: 2010-07-09
Packaged: 2017-10-10 11:37:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,046
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/99311
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Alithea/pseuds/Alithea
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Gangster-AU, Numbers Alternates. People who make mistakes must be made to atone for them, and Iria is pressed to make that point.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Woman Called Eleven

She stood fixed at the edge of the grave and watched as the gravediggers buried the coffin. A tall man with Middle Eastern features stood close to her with an umbrella to keep the rain off of her pure white business suit. There was a blood red rose pinned to her left lapel and her hands hung limp, but ready react. She narrowed her eyes at the sound of other cars trailing into the cemetery. The fact of other mourners in that place at that time seemed wrong to her. She wanted to be the only person in the world grieving, hurting, and desperate for revenge.

"Mistress," the tall man said softly, noting that the diggers were nearing the end of their task.

She nodded and turned to walk away. Her companion kept pace with her to the car, opening the door for her as she slid into the backseat. There were two other young women in the car and they looked to her for guidance.

"Take us to the Barge, Rashid," she commanded. Looking at the two young women next to her, taking in their dark hair and similar features, she caught a glimpse of something she had lost. She almost reached out to touch them, but instead kept her hands to herself. Occupying herself as the car jerked forwarded by sliding on white leather gloves. "This shall not go unpunished," she whispered.

The two young women next to her nodded silently.

A cell phone rang in the front seat of the car. Rashid did not reach for it. Instead he glanced at his mistress through the rearview mirror, and when their eyes met he said, "Mistress Winner?"

"We're not taking calls."

He nodded. "As you wish, Mistress."

*****

The room was dark and void of light save the red glow of numbers from the clock. Iria Winner sat in a chair near the bed, blue eyes fixed on the two young women sleeping tangled together in the bed. They were reflections of each other, light and dark, soft and hard. They reminded her of what she had lost, what had been taken from her. She did not love them, but they distracted her from more dangerous things. Having them near her she found focus, something complete that had previously cracked. And the young women themselves seemed to find an endless comfort in each other, and in pleasing her.

She reached out and picked up a glass of Scotch that had been sitting on the end table between the chair and the bed. She brought the glass to her lips and took a slow sip, letting the smoky flavor of the liquor burn her throat. It was not her drink of choice. She needed it though, because she needed to think like someone else. She shut her eyes when she felt her cell phone vibrate next to her.

"This is Iria," she said in a cold and quiet tone.

"Ah, Miss Une-"

"I'm sorry you must have the wrong number." She clapped the phone shut and settled her gaze on the two women who stirred slightly in their sleep. The phone vibrated again in her hand. She answered it. "This is Iria."

"I do apologize, Miss Winner, I had thought-"

"I never took her name, and she never took mine," Iria said quickly. "What do you want?"

"He wants an answer, Miss Winner."

She arched an eyebrow and then grinned in a manner that someone close to her once had. "Tell him I'm taking it, but I'm not his to move about on the board."

"But the terms are-"

"The new terms are I'm taking everything, and he gets nothing." Iria snapped the phone shut and stood up. She walked over to her closet and pulled out a suit. There was stirring from the bed. She turned towards it. "If I need you, Hilde, I will call you."

"I'm Aretha," the young woman said. "Take us with you, boss."

Iria shook her head and then said, "Not tonight. Tonight I have to work alone."

"She said you could have it, boss. Who would be foolish enough to try and take it from you?"

"Everyone," she replied.

****

She wore white and was seen walking down the docks. She wore a matching hat with a birdcage veil that swept across half of her face. The man that had been waiting for her to arrive raised a dark eyebrow as she approached, and then he grinned.

"As you asked," he said, "I am here alone."

Iria smiled and shook her head once she was only a few feet from him. "I love it when you lie," she said. "It makes it so much easier."

"What?" He asked.

"Oh…" She drew her head to one side and then said, "This."

Two large ships exploded.

The man ducked, and when he did she very calmly pulled a concealed syringe out of her hand bag, caught him by the collar and stabbed the needle into his neck. She let him go and he dropped to the ground convulsing.

"I'm taking your group too," Iria said softly as he continued to flail about on the ground. "I'm going to need them for what I need to do."

The man's convulsing started to lessen.

"That would mean you're just about ready to die," Iria intoned. "Look, Valder, it was a silly mistake to take up Tubarov's offer, but you went too far. And the lesson that you Numbers need to learn, and quickly, is that bad things happen when you try and destroy a Winner."

She looked down at him, and he had stopped moving. She took in a deep breath and began to walk away towards where she had another car parked. As she walked the dock was rocked with smaller explosions until there was nothing left of it, and it sank into the river.

Iria nodded at the man waiting by her car. He opened the door for her and she slid in.

"Your orders, Mistress."

She grinned, "You must start calling me by my proper name, Rashid. From here on out I am Eleven."

He nodded and started the car.

"This is what you get Treize," she whispered to herself. "This is what you get for ripping my life away."

End.


End file.
